Episode 177: Episode 177: Special Guest Molly Ruggere

Episode 177: Episode 177: Special Guest Molly Ruggere

How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety? This chat on Recovery Rocks brings together co-hosts Lisa Smith and Tawny Lara with special guest and life coach Molly Ruggieri, whose work questions why alcohol is still treated as a requirement for fun and connection. Molly shares how leaving New York City for Charlotte became the turning point in her drinking, shifting from "social" habits to using alcohol to numb heartbreak and stress.

She talks about trying to avoid traditional meetings, then realising that, at the time, they were the only place to meet others living alcohol-free. Yet being 27 in rooms full of much older people left her feeling like she didn’t quite see the kind of sober life she wanted. That gap pushed her to start Counterculture Club, a Charlotte-based alcohol-free community that’s grown into both IRL events and a global online space.

She wanted "events that anybody would want to go to" and describes sold-out alcohol-free happy hours and a 500-person booze-free beverage festival that mixed music, yoga, brands and a crowd ranging from drinkers taking the night off to people fully alcohol-free. The conversation isn’t just about building community; it’s also about burnout and boundaries.

Molly admits she "worked through the holidays" and neglected self-care to pull off the festival, learning the hard way that "in order to go faster, you need to slow down." The trio talk honestly about juggling work, passion projects and staying sober first. There’s also a fun detour into music, from early Lollapalooza memories to sober gigs and a shared love of earlier shows and matinee concerts.

Molly notes that music is "better not drinking" because "you’re 100% present" for every song. If you’ve ever wished for social connection without a drink in your hand, this conversation might have you asking what kind of sober or sober-curious life you’d like to build for yourself.